Pistons snap skid with win over Grizzlies
Wayne Ellington and Cory Joseph scored 18 points apiece to help the Detroit Pistons snap a four-game losing streak with a 111-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.
The Canadian Press Cory Joseph , The Canadian Press
DETROIT Wayne Ellington and Cory Joseph scored 18 points apiece to help the Detroit Pistons snap a four-game losing streak with a 111-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.
The Grizzlies dropped a half-game behind Golden State for eighth place in the Western Conference, failing to take advantage of the matchup against a Detroit team with more than a few absences.
2021/05/07 10:26 Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) drives as Detroit Pistons guard Frank Jackson (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, T. Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) drives as Detroit Pistons guard Frank Jackson (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, May 6, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) Detroit Pistons guard Cory Joseph passes as Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke (15) and forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) defend during the first h. Detroit Pistons guard Cory Joseph passes as Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke (15) and forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, May 6, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
A season devoted largely to developing young players was interrupted Thursday by an abiding truth: Veterans are an essential ingredient to winning NBA basketball games.
The Pistons didn’t have much choice but to use them when their backcourt was wiped out by illness and emergency – Killian Hayes coming down with an illness, Josh Jackson undergoing oral surgery and Hamidou Diallo unavailable for personal reasons.
So Cory Joseph and Wayne Ellington, with 22 NBA seasons between them, suited up after each missing the past four games, Joseph with a balky ankle, Ellington with calf soreness. All they did was score 18 points apiece and make the half-court offense hum like it hasn’t done often with the season largely turned over to the 24-and-under set and the keys in the hands of two rookie point guards, Hayes and Saben Lee.
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Takeaways: Return of veterans provide stabilization, renew confidence in young Pistons team
Updated May 07, 2021;
Posted May 07, 2021
Detroit Pistons guard Cory Joseph passes as Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke (15) and forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, May 6, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)AP
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The Detroit Pistons snapped a four-game losing streak on Thursday night with a win 111-97 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies, on the second night of a back-to-back, looked sapped of energy.
So the Pistons used that to their advantage with some help from the return of veterans Wayne Ellington and Cory Joseph. The two missed the last four games but on Thursday helped Detroit move the ball and put up one of its more efficient scoring nights.